1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molded interior material for a vehicle having a decorative layer that faces a vehicle compartment and a buffer material layer that faces a vehicle body panel, and manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, on a vehicle body panel of an automobile, various kinds of molded interior materials are laid to improve decorative properties and add a touch of class. On the upper side of the vehicle body panel from a floor panel to a toe board rising upward, floor carpets such as a tufted carpet and a needle punched carpet are usually laid as a molded interior material. At the center in a vehicle width direction of the floor panel and the toe board panel, a tunnel portion, which is raised upward and extending in a front-rear direction, is formed so as to insert a drive shaft. Therefore, the floor carpet is press molded into a deep drawn shape corresponding to the tunnel portion having a high (deep) convex shape.
The molded interior material such as a floor carpet is formed, for example, by heating the decorative layer and the buffer material layer in a stacked state or in a separate state to plasticate components of thermoplastic resin (thermoplastic fiber) contained inside, placing them between a pair of male and female press forming dies having a predetermined shape, and then performing a drawing process. After the components of the thermoplastic resin, which are plasticated, are cooled and solidified, a shape of the interior material is fixed.
In addition, in order to improve cushioning properties, sound absorbing properties and sound insulating properties of the floor carpet and to improve occupant safety, buffer materials such as a felt and a foam body and raising materials are sometimes provided. A molded laying interior material described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-173446 has a buffer material layer formed by press molding a fiber structure in which fibers are orientated in a thickness direction. The buffer material layer is light weight and has high cushioning properties. Therefore, it has an excellent property as the buffer material, and is suitable for combining with a breathable carpet to improve the sound absorbing properties.
However, it is found that the buffer material layer formed by press molding a fiber structure in which fibers are orientated in a thickness direction is, on the contrary, occasionally difficult to perform the conventional drawing process because the cushioning properties are high.